“This is Bananas” — Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken Takes Memphis to New Heights
“If you live within 300 miles of this joint, you should be getting yourself over here right quick.” That’s Guy Fieri’s verdict on Uncle Lou’s, a strip mall chicken spot near the Memphis airport that’s doing fried chicken in a way that had the Mayor of Flavortown practically speechless.
Louis Martin opened Uncle Lou’s after cooking just about all his life, bringing with him a fried chicken recipe handed down from his great-grandmother. The result? Customers driving 30 miles just for the chicken — and the sauce that Guy called “bananas.”
The Secret’s in the Dredge
What makes Uncle Lou’s chicken different starts with what isn’t there: no egg wash. The dredge is simple but specific — all-purpose flour, black pepper in about a 3-to-1 ratio, a little salt, onion, garlic, and the ingredient that made Guy’s eyes light up: cinnamon.
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“Is it cinnamon? That’s what it is!” Guy exclaimed when he finally identified the mystery spice. The chicken gets dredged to order and dropped straight into the oil — thigh first, then drum, then wing, then breast (since the breast cooks fastest). Just 12 minutes at the right temperature produces what Guy described as “good gold and brown” chicken with that signature crunch.
“That’s why we don’t do the egg wash,” Louis explained. “You cook that chicken skin — that’s that crunchy chicken skin that people like.”
The Corruption: A Honey Dip Like No Other
But the chicken is only half the story. The Honey Dip sauce — what Louis calls “the corruption” — is Louis’s own creation, distinct from his great-grandmother’s chicken recipe. It starts with red wine vinegar and Louisiana Cajun seasoning (even though they’re still in Tennessee), then builds with garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, onion, celery salt, sugar, lemon pepper, and hickory smoke.
The technique matters too: Louis adds the spices as soon as the vinegar comes to a boil because he doesn’t want the vinegar to evaporate. Then he kills the heat and adds a double dose of honey. The result is something Guy struggled to categorize — “It’s not like any chicken I’ve ever had anywhere else.”
When Guy tasted it, he nearly lost his composure: “Wow man, you’re close to getting a hug right now.” The flavor profile hits sweet, then spicy, with the vinegar backing it up. For those who want more heat, Louis offers a “more spicy” version made with cayenne pepper that “won’t make your hair stand on end — just let you know.”
The Whole Fried Bird
Uncle Lou’s also does something you don’t see often: whole fried chicken. The bird gets injected with a Cajun Creole butter, but Louis is careful not to puncture the skin so the marinade doesn’t leak. Since the marinade contains sugar that could burn the oil, technique is everything. The whole bird fries for 40 minutes, legs and thighs first, before getting dunked in that signature corruption sauce.
The result was tender, juicy, and — contrary to what you might expect — not oily at all. “People think oh, you fried it, it’s got to be all oily,” Louis noted. The meat was so tender Guy said “you really don’t need a knife.”
Beyond the chicken, Guy also sampled Honey Dipped fried bologna and a dipped smoked sausage sandwich where the sauce “just soaks in the bread.” There’s even a monster cheeseburger that regulars swear by. But as one customer put it: “Mama don’t even cook it better than that.”
If you’re hunting for more Southern comfort on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, check out Guy’s takes on a Brisket Melt or a House-Made Jerky and Sausage Sandwich. And to find Uncle Lou’s or any other Triple D spot near you, browse the full restaurant directory.